By Hayat Mohamed, BlackVoices.com
We caught up with the fun and spunky Tasha Smith before the premiere of her new movie, 'The Longshots', and asked her to spill the beans on how she manages to stay so beautiful. Much to our surprise, she didn't hold back at all. You may want to get a pen and paper because if you're like us you'll be trying some of these tips pronto!
Smith acts alongside Ice Cube and KeKe Palmer in the film 'The Longshots' which depicts the true story of Jasmine Plummer, an 11 year-old-girl who became the first female to play in the Pop Warner football tournament in its 56-year history.
KeKe Palmer plays the role of Jasmine and Smith plays her mother, Claire Plummer, in the film. "I think the film has a lot of heart," said Smith. "As you see the story you see how the life and energy of the town changes just because of this little girl's transformation." 'The Longshots' hits theaters August 22.
A Fridge Computer Snacks Things from home MP3 Player Budget Alarm Clock Cleaning supplies Bedding Shower shoes The College Survival Guide
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!
What are you wearing tonight to the premiere?
I think I'm wearing a Bagley Mischka royal purple dress. If I don't wear that then it will be a Nicole Miller in purple as well. It's all about purple! Oh and some Jimmy Choo shoes.
What fashion beauty trends have you recently jumped on?
Gladiator shoes and I'm trying to ease into the mini skirt. As long as my legs are, my legs have never been something I've truly embraced but I'm trying to let the girls out.
Whose style are you really diggin' these days?
I love Rihanna's look from head to toe. I think her style is so cool, funky and designer chic all wrapped into one.
How would you describe your own style?
I've been more on the clean and girly look with a lot of dresses and what not. I've been doing the clean straightforward, elegant look. You could call it the fun elegant look.
What's your daily skin regimen?
Olay Henderson face wash and there's this cream that I've found that is incredible, it's like magic. It's a little on the pricey side but it's the best stuff I've ever used. It's called Diamond Cream by Natura Bissa, it's a line out of Spain. You can only get it at Nieman's and it's amazing. They have a great face wash as well and sometimes I go back and forth between Olay Henderson's face wash and Natura Bissa's face wash as well as their cream. At night time, I wash my face with either Natura Bisse or Olay Henderson but the trick for night time is Carol's Daughter face butter. It's truly butter for the face! It keeps the skin so vibrant in the morning. People are always saying "Oh my God your skin is just glowing!" It's very thick but it conditions the face and it's the best.
What are your favorite make-up products?
I go for the natural look but I have to tell you, Laura Mercier has an amazing liquid foundation that's very light and very sheer as well as Bobby Brown's liquid foundation. I've been trying to do not as much powder. I like to have a bit of the dewiness going on because sometimes I feel that powder just accents every wrinkle you could possibly think of having. It gets up in every nook and cranny! I feel like less powder under the eyes the better because it doesn't dry out the eye as much. Bobby Brown has an incredible concealer that I use as well.
Do you think it's difficult to for women with dark skin to find make-up that matches?
No, not at all! I have always found that one color never works; you have to mix it to get the color you want. Whenever I sit down to get my make-up done and the make-up artists has one color and thinks she's going to use that all over my whole face, she not doing her thing right! That doesn't work and I'm not having it.
What is your ideal hairstyle?
I change my hair like I change my underwear girl. My natural hair is very thick and with me trying to work out, sometimes it's difficult for me to manage because after sweating out at the gym with a recent press, my roots become frizzy or if I have a perm, dampening the hair and trying to figure that out isn't so fun. I'm not a girl that likes living in the hair salon every two weeks. I don't do that, I need some hair that I can manage even when I'm at the gym. So I find weaves to be more manageable, it's a convenience thing for me. Sometimes my hair is inconsistent because every time it's time for me to change my weave always I'm trying something new. Right now I'm wearing these individual twists which are fun and it worked for the summer. This is really my summer look although it isn't the clean and chic look that I like. I love the straight hair, blown out with a nice cut. I'm missing my weave and I was also enjoying the bang, so I'm think I'm going back to the bang; long straight side, nice bang.
What are your makeup don'ts?
I say don't wear black lipstick and black liner. That black or dark brown lip liner, that's not blended in with the pink or peach lipstick. That to me is a ghetto no no!
What beauty product can you just not live with out?
I couldn't live without my diamond cream, or my Carol Daughter's face butter.
What are some beauty secrets that you have, home regimens?
Queen Helene! Your grandmother has probably heard of it. You can find it in any drugstore, Rite Aid or CVS drugstore. Queen Helene is a line from back in the day. They have great cocoa butter that is just amazing and they have a great face scrub. Their apricot scrub and oatmeal scrub are great and they have an awesome mud mask. Queen Helene is the best. My home facial regimen is Queen Helene. And I don't care how expensive you go, nothing is going to top Queen Helene. Queen Helene is between $2.99-$3.99. Some of their products include: a mud pack mask, Apricot Moisturizing facial mask, Vitamin C and Honey peel off mask and the Apricot Scrub. Queen Helene leaves your skin glowing. You'll spend $12 on all of it!
1. Tasha is a true talent. I just received her new script for her film which she is making her directorial debut called Family. Keep supporting this talented sista as she continues to take on Hollywood.
PJ at 8:28PM on Aug 22nd 2008